Bad Karma
by The Pele Queen
Summary: This is about how a girl gets along and other little things about her life. Eventual romance. The story is better than the summary, I think. Please R&R.
1. Karma

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anybody or anything except Karma and a little plastic windmill toy. It's yellow and orange, and it has a green handle. And I can make it spin really really fast. Go me.  
  
  
  
Karma Devins walked down the cracked, mossy sidewalk, slouched and with her hands in the pockets of her sweatshirt. She wore her brother's baggy, ripped-up jeans and the pocket chain jingled as she walked. She shivered in her sweatshirt and pulled the hood up, then slipping her hands back into her pockets. She watched as the shadows of the park walks got bigger and bigger as she got closer.  
  
Karma, Kay for short, had lived in this neighbor hood for almost two weeks. The park was the only place she knew besides her beaten-down 'house' and the Soc-infested high school. And the park was definitely the only place she liked, and she had been going there almost everyday after school to unwind a little. It was dead night, probably around 2:00 am. The park was empty, but she could still see dark, shadowed flowerbeds and the fountain from which the eerie sound of running water came. She walked over the spongy grass and took a seat on a cold, stone park bench that was backed up against a wire fence. She could hear muffled out music from some close-by house, probably some high-schooler throwing an all-night keg-party. She could only hear the bass lines, but she recognized the song anyway. It was the one her brother listened to when he got bored with Led Zeppelin - Elvis. 'Jailhouse Rock?' Kay thought. 'Yeah, that's it.'  
  
Kay snapped out of her almost-sleeping state of Elvis-awe at the sound of footsteps in the grass. Her head snapped up as she squinted in the dark to see who was there. Her straining eyes could make out the figures of two young looking… people. She couldn't tell if they were guys or girls. Maybe a guy and a girl? There was no way to be sure. She would have guessed they were guys from the way the slouched when they walked, but then again, she slouched too. She didn't want to stick around to find out; she knew all too well of the local gang members and how they carried switchblades like trophies. She got up quietly as she could, and hurriedly walked out the rusty back gate of the park. Her pocket chain clanked as she walked, and she couldn't help but turn around the see if the people had noticed her.  
  
They were staring right at her.  
  
No, they were staring past her.  
  
The sound of a car came up behind her. She could hardly see a thing through the tinted glass of the blue car, but the way it was driven she would have guessed the driver was drunk. She slipped into the shadow of a house just outside the park and watch the classy blue car drive up to the two boys (probably) in the park. Were cars allowed in the park? Evidently yes. Or maybe the driver didn't care. Or was too drunk to care.  
  
Kay crept silently back through the rustly park gate (having put her pocket chain in her pocket) and crouched behind a bush. She watched some people get out of the car and approach the two boys. She couldn't tell exactly how many, but she could hear them threaten each other. 'Maybe they know each other…?' Kay thought dumbly. Kay stood silent as she listened.  
  
"Hey Greaser. Need a bath, grease?"  
  
A corner of Kay's upper lip twitched and she raised an eye brow. In no way was she smiling, though.  
  
"You know what a greaser is? White trash with long hair."  
  
Another insult came.  
  
"You know what a Soc is?"  
  
'No,' though Kay. She realized one of the boys she saw originally had said that.  
  
"White trash with Mustangs and Madras," he finished.  
  
Kay decided now would be a good time to leave. She slowly and silently walked away unnoticed. Her ears picked up the sound of something splashing in water. The fountain, probably.  
  
Kay stopped dead in her tracks.  
  
The sound of a knife going deep into flesh.  
  
A painful scream.  
  
Horrofied gasps and the sound of shutting car doors and the turning of an engine.  
  
  
  
Kay drunkenly walked from the middle of the road to a sidewalk and keeled over feeling sick at what she heard. 'That didn't really happen… did it?' She didn't turn around to see, but rather, just sat there, silent and wide eyes with her chin on her knees rocking back and forth. After a moment she heard coughing and sputtering from someone still in the park. The sound was followed by a voice.  
  
"I killed him, Ponyboy. I killed him."  
  
Kay choked. Her stomach lurched as she stood up, and did a flip-flop as she ran. She didn't care anymore if she was heard by anyone. She didn't know exactly where she was running, but it was to the nearest place with lots of people around. 


	2. Dally

Kay knocked urgently on the door of the house that was playing the Elvis music. No answer. She rapped at the door again. She winced her eyes shut as the porchlight was flipped on, used to the dark now. The door swung open a boy with bloodshot eyes and a beer in one hand stood there, looking down at her.  
  
"Uh, yeah?" he said breathily.  
  
Kay cleared her throat and coughed, thinking of what she could possibly say that would get her into a complete stranger's house. There was a moment's silence.  
  
"Hey, one of my friends told me there was a party here, so I decided to stop by. Mind if I come in?" she said, a little awkwardly.  
  
If he was sober enough to realize he'd never seen her before, he didn't let that stop him from letting her in and walking back to the party. Kay carefully stepped inside, quietly shutting the door behind her. Not that anyone could hear even if she had slammed the door; the music was blaring. She went to the corner of the room, scanning the room for anyone she recognized from school. Her eyes stopped on a shirtless loiterer talking the guy that let her in.  
  
"Hey, Buck, who's the dude?" he said, scratching his chest.  
  
"Naw, it's a chick. Said a friend told her about the party. Thought maybe you knew her, Dallas."  
  
"Nup. Hey, is it okay if I crash in the back room? Tim Shepard and me got into a brawl and I got me some cracked ribs, I need a place to lie low for a while."  
  
"Sure thing, Dally."  
  
Dally. Kay recognized the name from someone talking about him at school. They said he had a record with the fuzz a mile long. To Kay, he sounded like a good person to talk to. She followed him to the back room, or wherever he said he was going. Maybe she could forget all about whatever she just saw in the park…  
  
"Hey, ain't you Dallas Winsor?"  
  
"Winston. Who're you?" he replied, trying not to look surprised at how much she looked like a guy. "Ain't you that kid that just moved in down on Rawles? I met your brother."  
  
Kay cocked her head. 'My my, isn't Carver just famous,' she thought. She took a minute before saying anything else.  
  
"Yeah? You know Carver?" she said, lacking anything better to say.  
  
Dallas just nodded and ran a hand through his greasy blonde hair.  
  
"How come you're here? Why ain't you home, or somethin'? You don't seem to know no one."  
  
Kay grew a few shades whiter before stuttering an answer. "I, uh, I needed to unwind a bit, so I was out for a walk and I, uh, I saw somethin' I wish I hadn't. Huh, I remember back in my old town, Windrixville, whenever I needed to unwind I'd walk up to this old abandoned church on a hill… excellent place to hide out."  
  
Dallas didn't get a chance to ask what she saw before the blood-shot eyed man named Buck came in the room and told Dallas that two people wanted to see him and they were at the front door. Said they were Pony and Johnny 'or something like that.' Dally jogged to the door with out so much as a word to Kay. Kay, not liking the way Buck stared at her, followed him.  
  
Over Dallas' shoulder, she saw what she thought were the two kids from the park. However pale she was before, she was now twice as pale and shaking. She didn't hear the conversation, but she jumped aside as Dallas passed her on his way to the back room. In a second, he came back with a white T-shirt and handed it to the blonde boy, who had stepped inside. Kay sized him up, now that she could see him in full light, and recognized him from school. Kay watched him pull the white T-shirt over his head, and stiffled a nauseating giggle; the shirt was practically to his knees. He left the soaked sweatshirt he was wearing on the floor. Kay moved her glance to the darker-haired boy. She had heard Dally call him Johnny. 'He looks like a puppy that's been kicked too many times,' thought Kay.  
  
Johnny was nervously looking around. He was shivering (Like a lost puppy, thought Kay) and only steadied when Dally came back. They exchanged a few words, and Dally handed the two boys some money - Kay couldn't see how much - and a… gun? That confirmed it; they were the boys from the park. She'd have to ask Dallas excaclty what went on.  
  
The boys dissapeared back out the door, and Kay waited for Dallas to come back so she could talk with him again.  
  
  
  
The night rolled on, and after a lengthy conversation, Kay knew who- killed-who-why and Dallas invited a much-shaken Kay to meet his buddies the next day. Kay spent the night at Buck's, passed out after a few too many beers. 


	3. Darry

Hey guys- thanks for the reviews. All in one day! And I didn't do anything to Ponyboy… that happened in the story, remember? (Sorry for worrying you! lol) Well, here's the next chapter, and this is where we start ignoring the original story. This is MY story now…bwah ha ha! (I promise I won't do anything bad to Ponyboy.) Please read and PLEASE review! It makes my day all the brighter…  
  
  
  
Kay sat up and rubbed her head. Even after passing out cold for a night, a hangover still lingered. She just barely remembered crashing at some guy's party… Buck's. Slowly, last night's events came crawling back into her head. Dally. Johnny. That blonde kid… Ponyboy? Oh yeah. The murder. Her stomach turned again as she thought of it. Maybe that's why she got drunk. Then, after several beers and too-loud music, she went to sleep in the back room that she and Dallas had started talking. Kay looked around. She bit her cheek and noticed with a startle that she wasn't in the back room at Buck's place. And she wasn't home. Where could she possibly be? How'd she get there? As if on cue, Dallas walked in.  
  
"Hey, you're up. I'm gonna take you to my friend's house, I can't babysit you all day. You alright?"  
  
"Just peachy. Where am I?" she said, half-comatose and still rubbing her head.  
  
"My place. You gotta leave, I got places to go. You need a ride? I can take you to my buddy's house for a while if you don't wanna go home. You said last night you left the house to cool off."  
  
"Yeah sure, as long as they aren't like Buck… ugh."  
  
Dally laughed. It was a cold laugh, almost forced. He was glad no one else was home, he'd either get his head busted in for having a girl spend the night or be laughed at for not having and fun with her while she was drunk. He grabbed the keys and headed out the door, soon followed by Kay.  
  
  
  
Dallas pulled up the Curtis' driveway. He saw Darry peek out through the blinds and rush out the door a second after. Dally raised his eyebrows and turned his head, pretending his didn't know a thing when Darry asked him if he'd seen Ponyboy.  
  
"He ain't home?" Dally asked, playing stupid.  
  
Kay got a confused look on her face. "Wasn't that kid we saw last night named Ponyboy?" she asked. Darry seemed to notice her for the first time. He walked right up close to Dally, with a look on his face that said "If you're lying you're gonna die."  
  
"You seen Ponyboy, Dally?" Darry asked, voice low with a storm brewing in his cold eyes. Dally didn't look at him; he just stared blankly through the dusty windsheild, gripping the steering wheel.  
  
Dally was quiet for a moment before answering. "Glory, I ain't seen him! Hey, can you watch this kid? She's new, maybe introduce her or somethin', I gotta go somewhere."  
  
Kay hopped out of the car when Darry nodded. She recognized him as one of the workers that was fixing up the roof of the house next to hers. She ran a hand through her browish-red hair, and blinked at Darry. She stood there awkwardly for a second before introducing herself.  
  
"Hi, the name's Karma. Kay for short. I, uh, just moved here…"  
  
"Kay. My name's Darry. Sorry, wanna come inside or something? And maybe we can figure out where Pony is…" Darry said, and he said the last sentence quietly almost to himself. Without saying anymore, Kay followed him up the dark grey sidewalk and through the creaky front door to the Curtis residence.  
  
  
  
Sodapop stepped into the hall. He cocked an eyebrow at Darry, then eye- balled the person next to him. New friend of Darry's, maybe? Darry wasted no time in introducing them, and after everyone-knew-everybody, Soda and Kay sat down at the little round kitchen table and Darry pulled some chocolate cake out of the fridge. Soda reached for a plate and a napkin, and the biggest piece of cake on the platter, but Darry sat silent and still with his elbows on the back of the chair. Kay didn't take any cake either.  
  
"So, how come you were hangin' out with Dally? He's not usually such an easy person to get along with," Darry said slowly. Sodapop looked at Kay; this was news to him.  
  
"Just met him. I guess we have a lot in common."  
  
"Yeah? So what was up, did you guys see Ponyboy?" Soda asked.  
  
"I though we did… little blonde kid? He was hanging around with a kid named Johnny. Was that them?" Kay said, just as confused as the next.  
  
"Yeah, that sounds like them. Dally prolly knows where they are and just ain't tellin'," Darry said, worry crossing his hard face. "Wanna go out for a bite to eat?"  
  
Soda and Kay nodded vigourously.  
  
  
  
  
  
(A/N) Sorry this is such a boring chapter, but it's necessary for the plot. PLEASE review! ANY kind of review, as long as it's constructive. Much love. ~Me. 


	4. Two-Bit

Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders. I only own Carver, Karma, and a little plastic windmill toy. Why do we bother with disclaimers? No one can really sue anyone; they don't know who we really are. Jeez… who ever thought of this… and another thing, thanks for all the positive reviews! 8 reviews and counting, and that's about 8 more good reviews than I expected… thankies! Oh, and thanks to Sammie too, for clueing me in on that, I don't know how I messed that up! (I though Ponyboy was just a darker blonde… oh well.) I'll have to go back and change that… Thanks again!  
  
Darry leaned out the window of his beaten up, rusty, dented red pick- up. For the third time, he hollered his order into the little metal speaker box thing found at every fast food place.  
  
"Excuse me, could you repeat that, sir?" the little metal box said in a monotonic voice. It was hard to believe there was a real person on the other side.  
  
Darry was getting frustrated. His hand clenched the steering wheel and his jaw was tight. In a low growling voice, he spoke into the speaker. "A chocolate shake. Three burgers. One large fry."  
  
"Would you like fries with that?"  
  
Kay, in the back seat next to Soda, wondered if anyone could really be that oblivious. She watched Soda roll his eyes and sigh. She turned her gaze to Darry, who, in exasperation, stepped on the gas pedal without answering. Kay felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up when he turned a sharp corner and almost hit a bush to go to the first window.  
  
The window's glass was dirty and dusty. It squeaked when the employee opened it, and not until he reached out to get the money did Darry see the employee's face. Darry did a double-take at the unmistakable face peering over the "Jay's Fast Food" meal bags. Darry laughed out loud, suddenly not minding the impertinence he got at the speaker.  
  
"Two-Bit! I didn't know you worked!" Darry said, his voice unstable with stiffled laughs. Two-Bit had a reputation to steal all the things he wanted or needed, or didn't want or didn't need for that matter. He would never work for anything. Two-Bit was very proud of his reputation. And yet, here was Two-Bit, in an employee's uniform and everything, putting in hours for wages.  
  
Soda smiled to himself; this was the first time Darry had so much as grinned since Ponyboy ran out the night before. He looked at Kay next to him, and her curious face peering over at Two-Bit. He noticed for the first time how cute she was… pieces of hair hung in her face over her bright eyes. She smiled with her eyes instead of her mouth. Her shiny blonde hair was just past her shoulders, but she usually kept it pulled back and under her sweatshirt hood. Soda wondered why; she was pretty. Kay seemed to notice his staring, because she looked at him funny and he quickly turned away to hide his blushing.  
  
Two-Bit's jaw dropped open, and he swore before tossing the meal bags at Darry, and then laughing out loud at his sarcasm. "I was just thinking about taking the day off… you doin' anything?" Two-Bit hinted, eyeing and empty seat next to Darry in the truck.  
  
Darry chuckled again and shook his head. "I'll meet you out front in the parking lot." He craned his arm around to give the bags to Soda, who immediately rummaged through them to get his double cheese burger with tomatoes, onions, ketchup, mustard and relish. Kay reached for the bags, making a face at Soda and his food. She particularly hated the onions and relish.  
  
  
  
Two-Bit jogged across the parking lot towards the truck. We walked around to the passenger's side and swung open the door, hopping in with a wide grin across his face. "So who's this?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at Kay.  
  
Soda told Two-Bit the short story of Kay's travels from her home to the park to the party Dally was at to Dally's house to the Curtis' house. His face was grim when he told Two-Bit about the park scene and the details about Ponyboy's dissapearance.  
  
"Tough, man. You don't know where he is?" Two-Bit said, real concern in his usually-chipper voice.  
  
Darry answered for Soda. Bellowed, rather. "IF WE KNEW WHERE HE WAS, WE WOULDN'T BE LOOKING FOR HIM, NOW WOULD WE?"  
  
Two-Bit shook his head. "Ya think Dally knows? Hmm, why don't we head over to his place and talk to him?"  
  
"I don't think he's at home. Did he say where he was going, Kay?" Soda asked.  
  
Kay shook her head. "No, but I'd prolly be at the park right now if I was him, after what happened 'n all."  
  
No questions asked, Darry stepped on the gas full speed the the park.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(A/N: Yeah, boring chapter right there. But necessary for the plot… sorry 'bout that. And sorry for not posting in so long, I kinda got a little busy with school and all, but more chapters this weekend, or at least one, I promise! I here by solemnly swear to finish this story if it takes me eternity, so just stick with me. Thanks, much love, -Pele Queen) 


	5. Carver

Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait! Here's the next chapter, though. I'm definitely going to go through and finish this story; I have it all planned out already. Whoo-hoo. Next, I'd like to write a fanfiction about 'Taming the Star Runner' or maybe 'That was Then, This is Now.' You don't care. On with the chapter.  
  
WAIT! One more thing! I lost my lucky pinwheel thing. So if anyone sees it, please return it! It's yellow and orange and it has a green handle. Thanks.  
  
WAIT! One last thing! Thank you to Mad Molly, zevie, fritzi zenetti, Starstruck, CrazeLilDreamer, BsBcHiCk, and Jackie Goody (Weezer rawks!) who have read recently. I hope you haven't forgotten about the story 'cuz I haven't updated in so long. but here's the next chapter. For real this time.  
  
Kay leaned forward over the front-middle seat to look at the clock in the car. The digital brown-and-beige numbers read 3:34. Kay sat back down as Darry was turning into an empty area of grass next to the park. Soda was looking at her, but he quickly turned his head and looked out the window.  
  
"Hey, isn't that your brother, Kay?" Soda said, pointing to a boy sitting on the park bench next to some boys neither Kay nor Soda knew. Kay raised and eyebrow and hopped out of the car, practically crawling over Soda to get out. She trotted over to her brother and punched his shoulder playfully.  
  
"Hey, Carver. What's up? Aren't you s'pose ta' be at home?" she asked him.  
  
A look of mock-innocence flashed in Carver's expression. 'Naw, I'm hangin' here with my new buddies. This is Mark, Bryon, and that hermit over there on the bench is Dallas."  
  
Kay raised and eyebrow at Dally off on a bench looking furiously at some papers. She pretended she didn't know him. Something was up with Carver.  
  
"You never do anything Mom and Dad tell you not to. What's the deal, did you suck up or something? You were grounded, last time I checked." Kay eyed him suspiciously.  
  
Carver glanced at Kay and muttered, "Yeah, well they aren't home..." Kay stared at him. Her mouth fell open. She eyed him, looked for clues that may have meant he was lying. But why would he lie?  
  
"You mean to tell me you snuck away from the house, you, Perfect Carver, disobeyed mom's instructions to watch me and stay home, you, you went out with your friends, you took advantage of mom and dad leaving you and trusting you?"  
  
"Yeah, sorta."  
  
"Way to go, Carver!" Kay squealed, wrapping her brother in the biggest bear hug possible with her small frame. Carver grunted and pushed her off.  
  
"Kay, if mom or dad find out about this, you're dead. Get it? Dead. And remember, I'm suppose to be baby-sitting you, so if you get hurt at all." Carver trailed off. Kay nodded and smiled. Right then, Carver was her favorite big brother. Her only big brother, true, but still her favorite. She though of it this way: Carver was bending the rules for them both. They were both suppose to stay home and, accordingly, out of trouble, but now they could have fun for... as long as the parental units were gone...  
  
"Hey Carver? How long are mom and dad gone for? And where'd they go?" Kay asked. She thought of her parents. Her tall, lean father with dirty blonde hair and a farmer's tan, and her favoring, over-protective mother who always left Carver to watch her. Carver was, after all, a high-school graduate, taking a break from school for one year before going off to college the next year. Kay was only the baby, the 11th grader, the irresponsible one. That wasn't far from the truth at all.  
  
"They'll be gone for two weeks, I think. They would have told you themselves, but you never came home last night. Man, you really had them pissed this time, Kay. Good thing for you it was some urgent business trip, or they would have cancelled it to stay home and tan your hide. I'm not even going to ask where you went."  
  
"M'kay, thanks, luv ya, see ya later!" Kay smiled innocently and walked over to Dally, whistling the tune to "May."  
  
"Dallas! What brings you here? I thought you had somewhere to be." Kay said.  
  
Dallas glanced up from the small pile of papers scattered in his hand and his lap, and some on the ground. "I've already been somewhere important. Leave me alone."  
  
Kay ignored his annoyed tone, which is not something most people would do. "Where was that?" she forwardly asked.  
  
"None of your business."  
  
"What are those papers ya got there?" Kay asked, peering over the edge of the stack. Kay bit her cheek and raised an eyebrow; she recognized these papers. They were legal papers that people had to fill out if they wanted to buy a house. Kay read the first paper. It asked basic information, like 'Name,' 'Date of Birth,' 'Social Security Number,' and things like that. She scanned the rest of the page. He had marked that he didn't have a job, he had never lived and/or rented his own property before and several other things that Kay knew weren't going to help him if he wanted to buy a house.  
  
A little more serious now, Kay leant over to Dally and asked what he was doing. "Dallas, you have a house. Why are you going through all this legal shit?"  
  
Dally looked slowly up at her. Kay recognized the look behind his face, the fed-up one that had made the final decision to move out, the one that said finally and most truly that there were major problems at home. Seeing that Kay understood, Dally looked back down to the papers without saying anything else.  
  
"Dally, why don't you come over to my house later, I've done all this shit before and I could help you out." Kay asked in a genuinely concerned voice. Seeing Dally's blank look at her invite, she added, "Besides, you look like you haven't eaten a decent meal or bathed properly in about a week."  
  
This one made Dally smile. "Actually, about a month. Okay, I'll stop by later."  
  
"Come by now."  
  
Dally paused for a moment. He nodded. Kay smiled and grabbed his arm, pulling him out of the park and toward her now parent-less home down the block. 


	6. House to Ourselves

Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders. Ha, I bet I fooled you. I KNOW you though I owned it. just joshin' ya. Stupid disclaimers.  
  
Oi, I haven't even posted the last chapter and I'm writing the next one. I feel so. on top of things. Actually, it's only cuz ff.net is down, yet again. oh well. Recent news: I haven't yet found my pinwheel, but that's okay. I managed to get through the last chapter without it, and I can do it again. You guys have to tell me every measly detail about what you think of my story. What specific parts are boring? Do you like more narrative or dialogue text? I hafta know these things! This is like pulling teeth, jeez. Anyhow, here's the next chapter.  
  
"Hey, ain't there anyone at your house?" Dally asked, walking slowly around the dark, seemingly empty house.  
  
"No. Carver's prolly out getting drunk with his friends, he won't be home tonight." Kay answered lightly.  
  
"What about your folks?"  
  
"Oh yeah. forgot about them. Naw, they're gonna be gone for the next two weeks or so on some business trip."  
  
"Lucky you," Dally said, flipping on a light switch he found next to the door to the living room. He looked around at the room. Compared to his own house, it was neat as could be, and nicely decorated. An oak coffee table sat in front of a tacky-looking beige upholstery couch, and to the left of the couch was a creaky wooden rocking chair. A black-and-white TV was sitting on a TV tray behind the coffee table. A black VCR with a button missing was stowed underneath. Old TIME magazines were scattered on the coffee table and a few sweatshirts and jackets were piled up on the rocking chair. Dally tossed his messy pile of legal papers on top of the TIME magazines and flopped back onto the couch.  
  
"Nice place you got here," he called to Kay, who was in the kitchen. Kay had gone into the kitchen to make some food, so Dallas began to sort through his pile of papers. Just exactly how much money did you need to buy a house?  
  
Dally's train of thought was interrupted when Kay came into the living room carrying two bowls of Campbell's © Chicken Noodle Soup. She set them both on the coffee table and went back into the kitchen to fetch two glasses of milk and some Instant Microwave Popcorn in a big plastic pink bowl. Dallas snatched the entire bowl of popcorn before Kay had even sat down, but he put it back on the table and began to eat his soup when Kay gave him a dirty look.  
  
"So what house do you wanna buy?" Kay asked, trying to break the uncomfortable silence. She sat back against the couch, not touching the food, but rather eyeing a bunch of papers. She raised and eyebrow at herself after she said it, realizing that she sounded like she was trying to sell something.  
  
"I dunno, one of those two-floor things on the other side of town. One of those Socy mansions," Dally said plainly. Kay couldn't tell if he was joking or not, so she tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.  
  
Dally scoffed. "I was kidding. No, actually, I was looking at this one down on Summit. It's not too far from here actually." It wasn't. It was the street next to Kay's house. Kay even knew the house; it was the only one for sale on the whole street. It had been up for sale since she'd moved here, and probably before that. Kay visualized the place. Its roof was worn in at one spot, a window was broken and half the paint was peeling off. It would be perfect. Darry could help with the roof, Two-Bit could help to get a window from the lumberyard really (really, really, really) cheap, and Kay would help paint it and fix it up on the inside herself. Dallas would help her, of course. But no matter how cheap the house would be, Dally still needed a job.  
  
"So where do you plan on working?" Kay asked brightly.  
  
Dallas choked. "Work? Aw, I ain't gotta work no where." Dallas paused. "Hell yes I do. Damn, Kay, this is a load of bull," he said, looking at her frowning with his eyebrows knit. Kay looked at him hard. She brought her face closer to his, and he looked at her suspiciously for a second before she kissed him. He pulled her close to him and they got caught in the moment, but Kay pulled away quickly, blushing all shades of red.  
  
"So anyway, about these legal papers. We should really sort these out first, I mean, they're all over the place. Did you find a mortgage broker? Well first you need a job--" Kay began, saying the words quickly. She stared at the table while she was talking, too embarrassed to look at Dally.  
  
"Kay?"  
  
"Yeah, you could get a part time job at the DX if you wanted, or you could find a job roofing like Darry, I think you'd like doing that, or a job at the lumber yard, that'd be fun for you too--"  
  
"Kay!"  
  
"You should find a job that you like and still pays well, so the lumber yard would be a good place to look, and we still have to ask Darry and Two- Bit if they'll help with the new house if you decide to go for it after all and--"  
  
"KARMA!"  
  
Pausing, Kay looked at him out of the corner of her eye, but didn't say anything. Her face was still flushed pink. She tilted her head forward so that her dark red hair fell in her face.  
  
"Kay, It's okay."  
  
Kay smiled and threw herself into Dally's arms. He hugged her tightly and rested his chin on her shoulder. He pulled his ring off of his finger behind her back, unfastened her thin gold necklace and slid his ring onto it. After he refastened the necklace, Kay pulled away to look. She smiled and admired how perfectly his thick gold ring sat below her collarbone.  
  
"Dallas--"  
  
"I know, baby, I know. We'll go ask Darry and Two-Bit about all this legal shit tomorrow. Okay with you?"  
  
Kay nodded and leant on Dally's shoulder as he leant back on the couch and shut his eyes. Kay rested her head on her chest and they both fell asleep that way. 


End file.
